Press release

Cepsa, Sonatrach, Total, and Alnaft sign new contractual framework for the Timimoun gas field concession project

13 Dec 2017

Production expected to begin in Spring 2018

The partners have also signed a marketing agreement for the gas

Timimoun is Cepsa’s first gas field, in a country where it has operated in Exploration and Production for 30 years

Cepsa, Sonatrach, Total, and Alnaft (the Algerian National Resources Development Agency) have signed a concession agreement under a new contractual framework for the development of the Timimoun project located to the south-east of the country.

The partners in the project also signed a marketing agreement for the gas that will be produced at the field.

Production at Timimoun, whose start-up is forecast for the spring of 2018, is expected to yield a maximum of 5 million cubic meters of gas per day.

The agreement is a key step for the project and in strengthening the historic alliance between Cepsa, Sonatrach and Total.

Over 2017 the development plan for Timimoun has continued with well drillings and the construction of the gas processing plant. A total of 37 production wells have been connected to collection and treatment deposits, which will link the wells in the south-east of Algeria via pipeline with Hassi R’mel (GR5).

Timimoun is a project operated by Sontrach (51%), Total (37.75%), and Cepsa (11.25%).

CEPSA IN ALGERIACepsa started its Exploration and Production business in Algeria alongside Sonatrach three decades ago, and has since increased its operations to other geographies such as Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Suriname, Spain, Thailand, Abu Dhabi, and Malaysia.

In Algeria, with Sonatrach as its partner, the Company operates in three major oilfields in the Berkine basin: the field of Rhoude el Krouf (RKF), the first crude oil field launched by Cepsa in Algeria; Ourhoud (ORD), the second-largest field in Algeria and Bir El M'sana (BMS). In sum, the fields operated by Cepsa produce a total of 137,279 gross barrels per day.

Also in the Berkine basin, Cepsa finished the exploration phase alongside Sonatrach in 2015 for the field Rhourde er Rouni II, and the field is currently being developed.

Cepsa also has a 42% share in the MEDGAZ gas pipeline, which is being led by Sonatrach, to provide an alternative route for the supply of natural gas from Algeria to Europe via Spain. The sub-sea pipeline, operated by Cepsa, has the capacity to transport 8,000 million m3/year and is 210 km in length.